Aaliyah Carroll knows it’s time to leave when the bell rings in Durham, North Carolina (WTVD).
At Inner City Youth and Boxing, she has been boxing for five weeks with her partner and coach, Dontez Blue. She is getting ready for her very first professional boxing match. While Carroll hopes to physically harm her rival, the training keeps her in shape in the interim.
“I have abs right there. I’ve put on a lot of weight. I had around 20 pounds of muscle on my body,” she claimed. “Boxing has taught me how to control my emotions. It’s a release from the grief, joy, and frustration.”
Carroll dreams of ascending the fighting staircase and possibly becoming a professional one day. As a result of USA Boxing’s new policy, Carroll may then have to deal with trans athletes throughout her career.
In its 2024 rule book, USA Boxing added a transgender policy that, provided they follow some stringent rules, allows women over the age of 18 to compete in the ring. The transgender athletes are required to have genital reassignment surgery and take monthly hormone tests for at least four years after the procedure under the plan, which you can read about below. Additionally, they must maintain hormone levels below a certain threshold.
Carroll remarked, “I’m not ducking any smoke.” “Anyone can get in the ring with me.”
Dontez Blue, a boxer for ten years, is concerned about the strength difference, but he isn’t backing down from any fight.
“Power doesn’t just win you fights,” he said. “A transgender girl would be normally stronger than a girl.” Many people like to claim that it’s more intellectual. 10% physical and 80% mental, respectively.”
As states across the nation moved to pass legislation restricting participation for transgender athletes, sports other than boxing have recently come under fire for including transgender athletes.
A national organization that promotes equitable sports conditions, Athlete Ally, issued the following statement:
“We are deeply concerned about a medical condition for participation and no way for trans, nonbinary, and intersex children to participate in line with their gender identity, even though we are encouraged to see that USA Boxing has not explicitly banned transgender athletes.”
In the meantime, Carroll is prepared to face off against anyone in the ring she practices in.
She replied, “I’m not at all worried about it.”
2024 WTVD-TV. All Rights Are Reserved.
